The Book of Sam

Summary and Author's Note

I am proud to announce that this novel has been sold to Dundurn Press and will be released on August 15th, 2020. Follow me for updates on my journey through the publishing world and I hope you all grab a copy (or two...or three...or...) when it hits bookstores and online retailers. Most importantly, thanks for all the kind words and support. 

This novel, originally titled "Harper's in Hell", has always been a labour of love. I have spent years writing, rewriting,  exploring the world, developing the characters and querying agents. Seriously, it was a long and wild ride. 

Back Cover Copy:

Sixteen-year-old Sam Sullinger lives in the shadow of adolescence. He's lost among his overachieving siblings, constantly knocked down by his harsh father, and bullied daily. His only solace is his best friend and crush, Harper.

In a grand plan designed to help him confess his love to Harper, Sam accidentally sets off a series of events that lead to her being kidnapped and taken to Hell. Racked with guilt, Sam makes a bold decision for the first time in his life: He's going to rescue his only friend.

Sam is thrust into a vivid world fraught with demons, vicious beasts, and a falling city. And every leg of his journey reminds him that he isn't some brave knight on a quest — he's an insecure teenager yearning to make his mark on at least one world.

Author's Note:

I'm a 1980s kid. The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Stand By Me, these were the stories that shaped my perspective and moved me. Stories of friendship, discovery and stumbling into adventure because bullies chased you into an old bookstore or because you're a terrible babysitter or because you're failing history class. As a writer, I've held on to these stories as tightly as possible.

The Book of Sam isn't a throwback written solely for the sake of nostalgia. It was written to connect with young readers who feel ordinary and lost in the shuffle. For those scared of venturing too far from the safety of home. It's meant to contrast the cynicism that has permeated YA stories.

This novel was partly born out of my desire to veer away from "the chosen one" trope. I wanted to tell the story of a teenager thrust into a scary world where he has no choice but to overcome his feelings of inadequacy if he is to achieve his mission.

Hell has typically been portrayed as a flat world with little depth. My aim was to take the principles of fantasy world building and apply them to Hell to create something more vivid and relatable, a world that flowed and connected and, most importantly, had a pulse. I wanted to give meaning to the lives of demons and not just have them be these mythical or quasi-religious beings. They were meant to have agency, voice and lives.

I wrote The Book of Sam for all these reasons but mainly to capture that feeling of being so enthralled by an adventure and so invested in characters that I forgot I was just reading under my blanket with a flashlight, waiting–or hoping–for a telephone booth to drop through the ceiling.  

It's Labyrinth meets the Goonies meets Dante's Divine Comedy. 

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